Body

Devotions

The Devil’s Instigation

David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

You are probably familiar with the story of Job in the Old Testament. If so, you remember that Satan could not touch this godly servant of God without first obtaining permission from heaven. The Lord told the devil he could afflict Job’s body, he could take him through baffling trials, but he could not kill him.

But did you realize that Satan also asked permission to test Peter’s loyalty? Satan knew Jesus’ kingdom was about to come so once he had possessed Judas, he determined to go after another disciple. I believe he made his presence felt at the Passover table, as “there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest” (Luke 22:24). The disciples had just had an intimate time of communion with their Lord, who told them he was about to die, but apparently they understood nothing of what he had said. Instead, they started arguing over who would be left in charge when he was gone.

Satan was thrilled as he sized up the disciples one by one, wondering, “Who should be next after Judas? Nathaniel? John? Ah, there sits Peter! Jesus called him a rock; in fact, Christ said he would build his church on Peter’s proclamation that he was the messiah. Yes, Peter’s the one.”

Satan lobbied to make Peter a target. “Jesus, you claimed you would build your church on this man’s testimony. Well, if you’re so sure that Peter is a rock, let me sift him for a while. I’m telling you, Peter will crumble, just as Judas did.”

Sifting is obviously a purifying process, separating the bad and useless from the good and fruitful. I believe that Satan thought Peter’s faith would fail in the shaking. But Jesus promised Peter, “I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail” (Luke 22:32). Jesus was assuring him, “Even though you will have some serious failures, I am telling you that ultimately your faith will not fail.”

Beloved, don’t be afraid of the trial you are going through. Jesus knows the outcome and he is telling you, “Hold fast. I have an eternal purpose behind your sifting. It’s all for the weight of my glory.”

“They Have Been with Jesus!”

David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

Shortly after the resurrection of Jesus, Peter and John encountered a crippled beggar just outside the temple gate where they were going to worship. This man was carried to the gate daily to make his living by begging and he asked Peter and John for alms. Peter responded, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6). The man was instantly healed and in utter joy he began running through the temple, jumping and shouting, “Jesus healed me!”

People recognized the cripple and a crowd gathered as they marveled at the sight. Peter and John took advantage of the situation and began boldly preaching repentance, resulting in the salvation of thousands (see Acts 4:4). When the rulers of the synagogue saw what was happening they were outraged and had the men thrown into jail. Then they demanded to know, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” (4:7). Of course, they knew exactly whose name was being preached, but they purposely blinded themselves to it.

Peter was emboldened by the Holy Spirit and answered the rulers, “By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead … There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (4:10 and 12). The rulers were stunned and “they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus” (4:13).

What was the mark that distinguished Peter and John? It was the presence of Jesus! Those synagogue rulers realized, ‘We crucified Jesus, yet he’s still speaking today through these two men.” In that very hour, Peter and John were fulfilling Jesus’ command to testify of him “in Jerusalem” (Acts 1:8). Likewise, I believe God’s powerful witness in these last days will not come through preaching alone. It will also come through men and women who “have been with Jesus” by shutting themselves in with him and seeking him with all their heart and soul.

What greater evidence of God could there be than lives transformed by the supernatural power of Christ? May it be said of you, “That man, that woman, has been with Jesus!”

The Assurance of God’s Watchful Care

David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

David prayed, “Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust” (Psalm 16:1). The Hebrew word that David uses for “preserve” in this verse is packed with meaning. It says, in essence, “Put a hedge around me, a wall of protective thorns. Guard me and keep me. Observe my every move, all my comings and goings.”

David fully believed that God preserves the righteous. This blessed man declared, “He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul” (Psalm 121:4-7). The same Hebrew words used in Psalm 16:1 appears in this passage. Once again, David is speaking of God’s divine hedge, the supernatural wall of protection. He is assuring us, “God keeps his eye on you everywhere you go.”

If you have trouble accepting God’s desire to preserve you, read where David said, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord … The Lord upholds him with His hand” (Psalm 37:23-24).

Even Job in his agony testified of God’s preserving power. This man lost his family, his possessions, his health, his good name, yet he addressed God as “a watcher [preserver] of men” (Job 7:20).

Time after time, our God has proved himself as a preserver to his people. Why is the Lord so intent on preserving us? We find a clue in Moses’ words: “The Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 6:24). Moses says God gave them the commandments to preserve and keep them for the same reason God wants to save and protect us: that his plan for our lives will be fulfilled!

The Lord Hears Your Secret Prayers

Gary Wilkerson

“When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:6).

We need to understand the depth and power of what Jesus is saying here when he talks about the Father seeing in secret. We may pray religious prayers hoping to be seen as a wonderful saint, but God not only doesn’t hear those prayers, he doesn’t even notice that we are praying.

Since God sees “in secret,” he only sees us or hears us when our hearts are in communion with him in the secret place of his heart. He will only glance upon, look toward, and give favor to that which transpires in the heart of the secret place. That prayer must come from communion with him, not from a desire to demonstrate our eloquence and passion or to make a show of our faith. It is entrance into the realm of the Spirit and not just a physical room that Jesus is talking about here. It’s his place, and when you get there, he sees you. He doesn’t see your fleshly efforts — in fact, he ignores them.

When Jesus sees you seeking him, you win his heart. Song of Solomon says that with just one glance we have won his heart (4:9, AMP). Some people have worked hard in the flesh and have yet to sense God’s favor, but those who meet him in his secret place and move out into works of love are constantly under his eyes and care. 

If you are running around striving to be recognized and honored, seeking prestige and power, hoping that people will pat you on the back, you are going to be disappointed when one day you stand before the Father. Sadly, he will say, “I know you were busy doing a lot of things that you thought were wonderful, but I saw those saints who were seeking my face.”

God’s Blessing is Invincible

Jim Cymbala

I am convinced that God intends to bestow his blessings upon every church and every believer who earnestly prays for them.

We see in the Bible that God’s blessing is a reflection of his incredible love for his creation. While it is invisible in its essence, his blessing is invincible, overcoming everything that earth or hell can throw against it. This blessing is rooted in the ancient instructions God gave to Moses to be carried out by the high priest of Israel:

The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:22-27).

This practice of conferring a priestly blessing in the name of the Lord is what separated Israel from the people around them for all the centuries of its history. Only God’s covenant people enjoyed the divine blessing. A nation favored and protected by the Lord, they knew that God had promised to listen to their prayers and be attentive to their problems. The God of the universe had turned his face toward them so that they could receive his supernatural grace.

What a privilege to live under the Lord’s favor, to daily experience his blessing! What enemy could intimidate them when God was with them in power?

I have good news for you! God is still a blessing God. In fact, the Bible could be characterized as a book revealing the Lord’s intense desire to bless every man and woman he has created. If this surprises you, just consider the fact that love always desires to bless the object of its affection — and remember that you are deeply loved by the Father.

Jim Cymbala began the Brooklyn Tabernacle with less than twenty members in a small, rundown building in a difficult part of the city. A native of Brooklyn, he is a longtime friend of both David and Gary Wilkerson.